Report of the First Thule Expedition 1912. 325 



one's feet, even with the slightest stream. And if one happens to fall, 

 and be carried down by the stream, then all is over. 



The crossing of this big stream gave us once more occasion to 

 make good use of the abundant supply of hide thongs (Kobberemme) 

 and lashing. We fastened the three sledges together one on top of 

 the other so as to make a ferry. A strong line of walrus hide was 

 fastened to this improvised craft, and it was then thrust slantwise out 

 into the river, with a man on board. After several attempts, we man- 

 aged to get the thing to wash in on the opposite bank, enabling the 

 passenger to jump ashore. Having thus established communication with 

 the other side, all was easy enough, and the sledges could simply be 

 hauled backwards and forwards. We thus got across dry shod, and 

 without even wetting our gear; the dogs, however, did not escape a 

 cold ducking, as we had to haul them over with a line. 



It took us three days to get up over Nyboes Glacier, the weather 

 being very bad. For the whole of the way one of us had to go ahead 

 to find a path for the dogs. At last, in the afternoon of 15 July we 

 reached the moraine country behind Navy Cliff. 



At Navy Cliff. 



With the supply of meat we had obtained in Valmuedalen, it would 

 not take much to make up the quantum sufficient to carry us safely 

 home over the 1000 km. of inland ice. The hunting could moreover 

 be done while we were looking for PearA'^'s cairn and the report at 

 Navy Cliff. 



Early on the morning of the 16th therefore, my two comrades 

 started out in search of game, while I remained behind in the tent. 

 For the last few days I had been suffering from pains in the leg, which 

 Freuchen diagnosed as incipient ischias. I was therefore obliged to keep 

 quiet for a little. After an absence of 12 — 14 hours the hunting party 

 returned, having secured 11 head of musk ox, so that we could now 

 look forward to the homeward journey without anxiety. The dogs, 

 however, were in need of rest, and we could in any case not start 

 until we had completed our investigations, so we decided to shift our 

 camp farther inland. We pitched our tent in a ravine, half overhung 

 by a huge rock, which gave us valuable shelter during the stormy days 

 which followed. In front of us lay a valley, with a big lake, on the 

 banks of which numbers of musk ox, to our great surprise, moved 

 about every day without paying the slightest attention to our pre- 

 sence. It need hardly be said, that it was an enormous advantage 

 thus to have our quarters in the midst of a living provision store, 

 while waiting to start off over the inland ice. 



On the 22nd Freuchen and Inukitsoq went out to find Peary's 

 cairn, as my leg made it unwise for me to risk the hardships of the 



